The UCF Knights and SMU Mustangs do battle Wednesday night in AAC week 6 college football action at FBC Mortgage Stadium. The SMU Mustangs look to get a game above a .500 record. The UCF Knights look to build on their 3-1 record.
The SMU Mustangs have lost 4 of their last 5 road games. Tanner Mordecai is completing 58.4 percent of his passes for 1,385 yards, 12 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Rashee Rice and Jake Bailey have combined for 770 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns, while Jordan Kerley has 6 receptions. The SMU Mustangs ground game is averaging 153.3 yards per contest, and Tre Siggers leads the way with 200 yards and 4 touchdowns. Defensively, SMU is allowing 25.5 points and 404.3 yards per game. Isaac Slade-Matautia leads the SMU Mustangs with 25 tackles, Elijah Chatman has 3 sacks and Nick Roberts has 1 interception.
The UCF Knights have won 9 of their last 10 home games. John Rhys Plumlee is completing 59 percent of his passes for 827 yards, 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Javon Baker and Ryan O’Keefe have combined for 393 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns, while Alec Holler has 4 receptions. The UCF Knights ground game is averaging 274.5 yards per contest, and Rhys Plumlee leads the way with 404 yards and 4 touchdowns. Defensively, UCF is allowing 13.5 points and 315 yards per game. Jason Johnson leads the UCF Knights with 32 tackles, Tre’mon Morris-Brash has 2 sacks and Divaad Wilson has 1 interception.
The Mustangs are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall. The Knights are 6-18 ATS in their last 24 conference games and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss. The under is 4-0 in Mustangs last 4 road games. The under is 5-1 in Knights last 6 games overall. The Mustangs are 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Central Florida.
The SMU Mustangs have been terrible defensively their last 2 games, and their run defense is now 109th in the country. The UCF Knights have issues of their own, mainly due to the lack of passing game, but they’re still finding ways to win, and they’ve been one of the better home teams in college football the last few years. I’d need more points to consider SMU here, given the defensive struggles. Give me UCF by a touchdown.